RICHMOND, Va. -- As a social worker, in her early 20's, and fresh out of Virginia State University, Dr. Gwen Andrews was assigned to work cases in Richmond's East End housing projects.
The work, nearly four decades ago, now informs her new role as the leader of Richmond's Community Mediator team. That's a civilian outreach unit with Richmond Police focused on stopping community violence before it happens.
“I still hold a butterfly that the mothers and children gave me as a going away gift as I was about to go to graduate school, but I never forgot my training. They trained me even though I was trained as a social worker," Dr. Andrews said. "I've been in mental health 30 some years, so I understand the dynamics of what may happen in their life and then as an individual. But again, the empty promises, will not give you what we call street credibility.”
Street cred is critical to the work of the Richmond Community Mediators.
Andrews and her team are tasked with making community connections to break cycles of community violence and support hurting neighborhoods when violence does occur.
“I need you to know that we are real, we're here for you. What is it we can do? Sometimes it's just physical presence," she said.
Many times, though, work is more involved.
The team is trained in physical and verbal de-escalation techniques, which will hopefully diffuse tense situations through communication and access to diversion resources.
"So that they recognize certain things, and they are not as reactive, right, but they are prepared," she said.
Getting to the point of even having those conversations is about earning trust, though.
Andrews said you cannot ignore the myriad of contributing factors that lead up to community violence.
"Some of the same issues that I had to deal with when I was a young social worker, a younger social worker, without the salt and pepper hair, still exist," she said. "The reality [for many] is they're living in poverty; they feel as though there's no hope; they feel as though no one cares about them.”
Meeting people where they are and backing up talk.
Those are the solutions Andrews heard from the voices she speaks to daily for decades now.
"When you speak truth to power, and you do what you say you're gonna do, that that has a strange way of changing one's heart, right? So that they too, can embrace and want to do something other than pick up a gun," she said. "I just refuse to believe, I just refuse to believe that this is the narrative that we're going to embrace and continue to live with.”
When she was a kid in Baltimore, Andrews's grandmother took in her family after her parents separated.
Lessons of dignity and treating others with respect were learned, in what was not an easy environment, that she thinks are so important now.
"I know it's different with the kids now, but let me tell you, when you introduce love, compassion, consistency, and a belief that they can do more, oh man, It is amazing. . . It is amazing," she said.
Any Richmond resident can reach out to Dr. Gwen at any time: Gwendolyn.Andrews@rva.gov or call her cell phone at (804) 516-0451.
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